Date: 2017-05-14

A total of 1370 students from private arabic schools yesterday sat for qualifying examination conducted for them in Kwara State ahead of the forthcoming Senior Islamic School Examination.

The examination was at the instance of Kwara State Arabic Education Board with strict monitoring by the state Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development.

The mock examination, which was conducted simultaneously, took place at designated centres in Ilorin, Lafiagi, Patigi, Shonga Osi and Oke-Iya, all in Kwara State.

Findings by The Herald On Sunday showed that successful candidates in the qualifying examination would enjoy sponsorship to participate in the examination to be conducted later by the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Examination.

Speaking with Journalists yesterday at the state College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies (CAILS), a designated centre for Ilorin, the Chairman, state Arabic Education Board, Dr Abdulkadir Oba Solagberu, said the qualifying examination signposted educational development in the state.

He explained that Nigeria as a multilingual state needs to groom students of Islamic and Arabic Schools for positions of authorities in the future.

Solagberu stated that the recent development in the education sector had affirmed the usefulness of arabic and islamic education contrary to the age long mundane impression.

He said there should not be any form of discrimination or whatsoever as arabic language has been reckoned with globally.

"Nigeria is a multilingual state. If you are looking into English as an official mode of communication and others, arabic is too is an international language. You have to learn it if you want future for yourself.

"When you learn arabic, you can become anything in the society; you can become a big man, scholar and professor as being done in English. So, the impact and importance of arabic education is not limited to Mosque, funeral or naming ceremonies as ignorance used to say", he said.

Solagberu expressed appreciation to the state government for giving arabic students opportunity to participate in the mock examination.

The Dean of Arts, University of Ilorin, Professor Ahmad Abdussalam, who also monitored the examination, lauded the Arabic Board for the conduct of the mock examination, saying it was part of contribution of the government to the development of society in the state.

He noted that the study of arabic will instill in the students required skills and prepare them to make positive contribution to the society.

Abdussalam urged the board to create more awareness on the importance of arabic education and appealed to the state government to sustain the qualifying examination.

"The study of arabic in Kwara State is a very important phenomenon, and graduates of this schools have contributed and still contributing to the development of the state and Nigeria in general.

"And of course, such an exam will prepare the citizens of Kwara for real examination, and it is part of government's effort to graduate the students of its schools in Kwara with certification that will qualify them for the available chances and also prepare them to give positive contribution to the development of the state in terms of skills", Abdussalam said.

Also speaking, the Coordinator of Administration to the Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Malete, Professor Suleiman Jamiu; Professor Mashood Mahmood Jimba and the Director Curriculum and Assessment, state Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mr Abubakar Babatunde Ahmed, expressed delight over the conduct of the mock examination, pointing out that the state government had taken the bull by the horn and urged it to sustain the initiative.

They added that the mock examination would not only encourage Islamic education but also arabic education, saying that with the exam, there was a paradigm shift.